VICTORIA B.C.– Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and leader of the B.C. Green Party, issued the following statement on today’s federal energy announcements:

“Prime Minister Trudeau has betrayed the trust of British Columbians. The approval of this project is completely contradictory to this government’s rhetoric at the Paris climate talks, as well as their commitments to finally embrace a new era of reconciliation. This government was elected with guarantees that change would finally happen – instead we see yet another Federal government steamrolling their pipeline agenda over First Nations and over B.C. communities.

“I was an intervenor in the National Energy Board review. I have read through Kinder Morgan’s application, reviewed thousands of pages of documentation and asked Trans Mountain more than 600 questions about their spill response capacity.

“As a scientist, I can say unequivocally that we remain completely and utterly unprepared for a major oil spill.

“Instating a ban for part of the coast while increasing heavy oil tanker traffic by 580% in another is completely outrageous. It ignores basic ocean science. We need to protect the entire coast.The potential effects of a diluted bitumen spill in our waters would be catastrophic.

“It’s now up to the Provincial government to finally tell British Columbians where it stands. Premier Clark has been hedging her bets for years, appearing ready to approve a pipeline as soon as it is politically expedient.

“The B.C. Green Party is the only party that has offered a consistent, principled position, based on evidence: heavy oil tankers have no place on our coast.

“It is becoming abundantly clear that the ways in which projects are receiving approval no longer meets the expectations of Canadians or First Nation communities. The next government elected in BC will have to confront this reality.”

Andrew Weaver sought intervention status in the Trans Mountain National Energy Board Hearing both as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and as a scientist with a doctorate in applied mathematics and with specialty in physical oceanography and atmospheric and climate science. As an MLA, he represents the constituency of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, which is located along the Trans Mountain Tanker Sailing Route on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. He was the only B.C. MLA with intervenor status in the hearing process.

As a scientist, Weaver served as Lansdowne Professor and Canada Research Chair in climate modeling and analysis in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, where he worked for over 20 years. He was a lead author on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th scientific assessments and has authored and coauthored over 200 peer-reviewed, scientific papers. Weaver is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Throughout the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain NEB hearings, he applied his scientific expertise, particularly in physical oceanography and modelling.

9 Comments

Phil Trotter-

December 6, 2016 at 7:58 pm

You did a great job with the refugees, it makes me proud that my country has opened its borders to those in dire need.
Your allowing Alberta bitumen to be transported by rail or pipe line is a pure sign of your ignorance. Some of this product is heaver than water, therefore if there is a spill by rail or pipe line, it could be a disaster on a global proportion. How are you going to clean up a spill that is on the bottom of the Fraser River or in the Strait of Georgia. You don’t have the resources to clean up a small spill that happened near Bella Bella, that was deisel.
I am not against shipping oil; Tar sands oil needs to be processed before it is shipped making it a lot safer. This will mean more jobs in Canada. You still have time to change the governments policy and make oil transport a lot safer. We do not need a Trudeau spill.

Johnathin Martin-

December 1, 2016 at 12:01 am

When are Canadians going to wake up and realize this one simple fact – IF VOTING WOULD/COULD REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE IT WOULD BE ALLOWED ?

It is a Beautifully written, forceful letter that clearly describes weaknesses and and omissions in the Kinder Morgan proposal. You use sound scientific and analytical principles to make a strong case against this proposal as it currently stands.

Thank you for your strong, clear voice.

Maureen Shier-

November 30, 2016 at 5:24 am

I agree. I am vehemently opposed to oil moving over the Straits and Oceans. Especially bitumen. Gather one and all, for the biggest fight ever, perhaps bigger than Clayoquot? Clean off our slates, get ready and bundle up with good walking shoes, and tell spouses and grandkids that we are going to be busy?

Steve Dyck-

November 30, 2016 at 2:29 am

Andrew, thank you for all of work and years of leadership. Bitumen will sink us in so many different ways. I intend to stand non violently in the way of this.

Stacey Kaser-

November 29, 2016 at 11:06 pm

Dear Mr. Weaver,
Thank you for all your hard work supporting the citizens and the environment of British Columbia. I have read your assessments of many other issues that have affected us, and been impressed with your arguments and the facts you lay out. I now depend on you, and you alone, to give honest feedback.

Troy Grant-

November 29, 2016 at 8:47 pm

The PM has played his hand, and played badly. He actually stated in his announcement he did it for the kids, for “future generations”, his sick irony would make even Trump blush. The evidence is clear, if humanity continues this reckless course of ecological debauchery there simply will be no future generations. However, I was not in the least surprised, the PM has already shown his Trumpish penchant for lying with impunity. He will certainly regret this decision down the road, morally and from a legal culpability perspective. When the tar hits the fan he could not claim he forgot or was not aware of the risks to the coast and climate. Can anyone say HAUGE.

Angela Southward-

November 29, 2016 at 6:40 pm

You are coming along quite well M. Trudeau as just as deceitful as the monster down south. I would Not have voted Liberal if I had known you would care so little for the Salish Sea and all its inhabitants, human and otherwise.